Droppable figure target



6, 1949 J. s. GUARINO ETAL 2,490,432

DROPPABLE FIGURE TARGET Filed Sept. 28, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1949 J. 5. GUARINO ET AL 2,490,432

DROPPABLE FIGURE TARGET FiledSept. 28, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 DROPPABLE FIGURE TARGET James S. Guarino and Rocco M.1Guarin',

Chicago, Ill.-

Application September 28, 1948;Serial N0.'51,544

Claims. (01. 273 -1021) Thelpresent invention relatesrto target games. More particularlyit relates to a game which may be playedwith miss-ilessuch as ping pong balls tl iat are thrown: at a target member and which has novel-r nea-nsiorindicating a scoring hit.

An objectofithe invention is to providea targetgameihavin'g a figuresuspended on a'cord and a target rnember-=in -the form of asimple lever which may b'ek set to-clamp the cord and maintainthe: fig'u-re' in elevated position, and which lever is operableby the impact of a missile to release theicord and allow the figure to drop; indieating a scoring hit. 5

Another object "of: the invention is to provide a new-andimprovsd game which is harmless'and develops skill in playing and which: incorporates 1' means for "providing additional amusement to players when a scoring hit is made on the target membe'r'of the game.

A further objectof the invention is the provision-of a new and improved game which is durable and extremely simple and inexpensive to construct-but which nevertheless operates satisfactorily and" does not have complicated mechanism whieh might get out of order frequently.

Tlise'and other objects, advantages and ca-' Liabilities of the invention will become apparent from the-following description wherein reference is'had tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 isa'iront elevational view-of the'iniber 'inthe'position they assume when the figure" Referring't'o-thedrawings and more particularly to Figsilj2 and 3, it will be-noted that theimproved game of the'present invention has a supporting"frame-including a generally rectangular base It, a pairofupstanding standards [2 fixed tothe'base'by mjeans of'b'rackets l4, atop memher [6 supported. upon the upper .ends ofthe standards" and a'rear crosspiece l8 fixedto. the upper ends of the standards immediately below the top member, These-frame members are pref-.

erably made of.wood -but. any other. lightweight" material may: be used.

As best seen in Figs. 2.and. 5, the top, member' lfi is of generally semicircularsh'ape in plan and:

has asubstantially diametrically-located aperture 2D forward of the rear.- crosspiece l8. A. metal eyelet or grommet 22 may be secured in this L.

apertureuto present a nonfriction surface.

A figure 24 of any appropriate character and of-relatively lightweight material is suspended larger than the aperture illsecured thereto. The.

cord. is guided forimovement below the top. mem-- her. by means of a pair of .spaced. eyes. 30: screwedv into the rearcrosspiece l8.,.through eachoi which an end of the cord passes. Iv Preferablythdength of the cord is suchthat'when itlis released. and, the figure is.inits lowermostrposition the latter will besuspended somewhat=abovethe base. I03 A-recess-3l may be provided in the. toprmember. in which the bead rests when the-figure. is..in' raised-positiony as shown inFigs. 4 andv 5.

One of .thefeaturesof the present invention is' the improved mechanism which we have devised for clamping the .cord to. holdthe :figure: in the elevated positionshown-in 1. This. mechae nism comprises a target .member' .32.-including.-;:a. lever'arm 34-pivoted intermediate itsendsas-ine. dicated in Figs; 1 and 2 to the lower side of the top member adjacent-the outer edge ofthe latter. by means of a cotter. pin 36 or other suitableljournal-ing means. Theleverthas an inwardly-adirected end 38 'which extends :to a. point some... what beyond-the aperture 20 in the .topmember, while the other end-of thelever projects lateral- -v ly from-the right side-0f..the frame, -.as=-.seen. in. Figsel and. .2, and carries .a vsuitable target element 40 onits outer.end,.wh-ich element maybe a metal or wocdhdisc.

When the target member. is 1n;the position shown in full lines in Fig. "2,the c0rd.26will be frictionally clamped between the rearcrosspiece I8 and theinner end 38 of the lever, as indicated in Fig. 5. Since-the-figure -24'is-"oflightweight: no other'means is necessary tohold it "in elevated position. However; if desired, thelever'may' be restrained slightlyby making its journal 36"fair- 1y tight so that the figure'will notbe accidental 1y. released when it is suspended in "elevated 'po sition but. will be released only when the target element 40 is'struck' with sufficient forcetoipivojt' the lever against the restraint offered by the journal in a direction to release the cord. Upon release of the cord the figure drops until the bead 28 engages the eyelet 22 in the top member. The figure is then suspended only a slight distance above the base [0.

In order to protect the figure when missiles are propellecl at the target, a net 42 is provided on the forward side of the frame, which net is suspended from the top member in the manner best seen in Figs. 2 and 5. As there indicated the top member [6 is provided with a slot or groove 44 which extends substantially the length of the perimeter of the front side of this top member and with a plurality of radially extending slots 36 intersecting this peripheral slot. The peripheral slot 44 is adapted to receive the upper weft A8 of the net while the radially extending slots 46 receive the warp strands 50 of the net so that the net is suspended from the peripheral edge of the top member. The net is held taut bymeans of a wire hoop 52 conforming generally to the shape of the forwardly facing side of the top member. This hoop is fixedly secured at opposite ends to the upright standard l2 and the bottom end of the net is threaded upon this hoop.

Since the game will frequently be placed upon tables or like articles of furniture when it is being played, the underside of the base is preferably provided with feet 54 of rubber, felt, or other nonabrasive material.

From the above description of the construction of the improved game its operation should be apparent and, therefore, a detailed description thereof is not thought to be necessary. In setting the game for play, the bead 28 may be grasped to pull thecord 26 through the eyelet 22 for raising the figure 24 to its elevated position behind the net 42. is then pivoted to the full line position shown in Fig. 2 so that the cord is releasably clamped between the inner end 38 of the lever 34 and the rear crosspiece 18 thus holding the figure in its elevated position. Although it is intended that hand propelled projectiles such as ping pong balls or light rubber balls shall be used in playing the game, it will be apparent that toy guns shooti'ng corks, or the like could also be used in playing the game. with sufficient force to pivot the lever to the position shown in phantom in Fig. 2, the cord will be released and. the figure will drop by gravity until the bead 28 engages the eyelet 22.

In order to provide additional amusement in playing the game, a receptacle 56 may be placed on the base in alignment with the aperture 23 inthe top member so that the figure will drop into this receptacle when it is released. The receptacle is preferably partly filled with water, and in order to secure the same against being knocked over, the top side of the base is preferably provided with a recess 58 conforming in size to the bottom of the receptacle.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. In a toy in combination a supporting frame including base and top members, a figure, a flexible cord for suspending said figure from said P top member, and a rockably supported target member having a part adapted to cooperate with a portion of the frame frictionally to clamp said cord and hold the figure in an elevated position, said target member being rockable to anoth r The target member 32 When the element 49 is struck pivoted intermediate its ends to said top to provide a part extending laterally of the frame and an opposite end portion on the same side of the abutment as the aperture adapted to clamp the cord against the abutment when the lever is at one position frictionally to clamp said cord and hold the figure in elevated position, said lever member being rockable to a second position for releasing said cord to allow the figure to descend, a target element on the laterally extending part of said lever for intercepting missiles propelled at it and thereby causing said lever to be pivoted to the last mentioned position, a protective screen protecting the figure from being struck by missiles, and a liquid receptacle adapted to be placed in vertical alignment with said figure into which the latter drops when said cord is released.

3. In a toy in combination a supporting frame including base and top members, a figure, a flexible cord for suspending said figure above said base, a rockable target member having a part adapted to cooperate with a portion of the frame frictionally to clamp said cord and hold the figure in a position elevated above said base when the said target member is in one position, said target member being rockable to another position by the impact of a missile striking the same for releasing the cord to allow the figure to descend gravitationally, and a. protective screen secured to said frame for protecting the figure from being struck by missiles, said top member having a slot on its upper side substantially coextensive with the perimeter of its forwardly facing portions for receiving the top weft strand of said screen, and a plurality of vertical slots along the said forwardly facing portions for receivin the warp of said screen to support said screen, and means engaged with the screen adjacent its lower end for maintaining the same taut.

4. In a toy in combination, a supporting frame including a base supporting a top member having an aperture therein and a member forming an abutment on one side of said aperture, a figure, means for suspending said figure from said top member including a flexible cord passing through said aperture and having a stop at one end for limiting descent of said figure when the cord is free of restraint, a lever member pivoted intermediate its ends to said top to provide a part extendinglaterally of the frame and an opposite end portion on the same side of the abutment as the aperture adapted to clamp the cord against the abutment when the lever is at one position frictionally to clamp said cord and hold the figure in elevated position, said lever member being rockable to a second position for releasing said cord to allow the figure to descend, a target element on the laterally extending part of said lever for intercepting missiles propelled at it and thereby causing said lever to be pivoted to the last mentioned position, and a protective screen protecting the figure from being struck by missiles.

5. In a toy in combination, a supporting frame 75 including a base supporting a top member having an aperture therein and a member forming an abutment on one side of said aperture, a figure, means for suspending said figure from said top including a flexible cord passing through said aperture and having one end secured to said figure, means forming a stop of larger cross-sectional area than said aperture on the other end of said cord for engaging the top side of the aperture to fix the lower limit to which the figure on the cord may descend, said stop forming means being conformed to be readily grasped for manually raising said figure from its lowermost position, and a target :member having a lever arm rockably secured intermediate its ends to said frame on the underside of said top to one side of said aperture and having one end portion extending beyond the other side of said aperture and disposed on the same side of said abutment as the aperture'for frictionally clamping the cord against the abutment when the tar- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,021,019 Van Kannel Mar. 26, 1912 1,413,770 Palaith Apr. 25, 1922 

